Thursday, November 28, 2013

I definitely love a recipe that I can throw into a crock pot and not worry about, especially one that I can throw frozen chicken breasts into!! This was a thick and hearty chicken chili that we all enjoyed...

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

I made these bars for a party that we were headed out to and I was all set to take a picture this time and I just couldn't do it... They turned out this odd shade of purple and they were not the prettiest things that I have ever laid eyes on. I didn't got for the optional food coloring, which I should have and I did stir in the sprinkles, which I think caused the odd purple color. So, when it says to stir, make sure you stir, don't just throw the mixer on low in the lazy fashion that I did! :) But let me tell you - Oh - My - Gosh!! These things were fabulous!! I'm usually a chocolate kind of girl, but these knocked my socks off... Super rich and delicious! Definitely making these again - and STIRRING the next time!!

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" square baking pan, then line with parchment paper; set aside. Stir together cookie crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is just brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining sugar and beat for an additional couple of minutes, until smooth. Add the eggs and yolk, milk, vanilla, salt and beat again until completely combined and smooth. Finally, stir in the cake mix and sprinkles until smooth. Pour the filling over the crust. Set the pan in a larger pan (a 9×13-inch works for this), and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake until just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the water bath, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into bars. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

I love fried chicken, but hate the mess of frying anything. All that grease and nastiness all over my stove and everything that is remotely close to it. Yuck! So, I have tried a lot of "oven" fried chicken recipes and while they have been good, this one really lives up to the crunchiness that it promises. It was super yummy too!

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine yogurt, mustard and garlic. Add chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 425. In another plastic bag, mix flour, paprika, balking powder, salt and pepper. Remove chicken from marinade and add, one piece at a time, to flour mixture; close bag and shake to coat. Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet; spritz with cooking spray. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 180.

Monday, November 25, 2013

These took a little bit of work, but the hubs loves ribs and I thought that I would give them a go. They were a hit!! Super tasty and falling off the bone. Just what ribs are supposed to do! So, grab some napkins and try these out...

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and seasonings; sprinkle over ribs. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour. For suace, in a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 5-6 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Wrap ribs in a large piece of heavy duty foil; seal edges of foil. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours or until the ribs are tender. Carefully remove ribs from foil. Place ribs over direct medium heat; baste with some of the sauce. Grill, covered, 8-10 minutes or until browned, turning and basting occasionally with remaining sauce.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

This recipe looked so good that both my sister in law and I pinned it and brought along the ingredients when we went on our week long camping vacation! Although I beat her to making it, my nephew did an awesome job assembling the baked peaches and we all tremendously enjoyed them! I mean, look at how hard he is concentrating!!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Every year we get a couple of boxes of peaches from our local fire department and I love to find new ways to use them, other then just scarfing them down plain! This year (and I think last, even if I didn't get a chance to blog about it), I busted out my ice cream maker and churned up some peach ice cream. It was soooo good, nice and creamy and pretty easy to make! The kids definitely enjoyed it and although I prefer chocolate, I thought it was a good pick.

Combine the peaches, 1/2 cup sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, stirring the mixture every 30 minutes. Remove peaches from refrigerator and drain the juice into another bowl. Return the peaches to the refrigerator. Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Add the peach juice and blend. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the instructions. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done), add the peaches and continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

This was a super easy ways to serve up pork chops and was delicious. My meat was falling off the bone tender, so no picture of what it looked like! Definitely good to eat, even if it didn't look pretty! :)

Slice onions into bottom of crockpot. Mix together all ingredients except meat and onions to create a sauce. Dip the meat into the sauce; layer in the crockpot. Pour remaining sauce on top of meat. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Sprinkle with sesame seeds when ready to serve.

Monday, November 18, 2013

I love the crunch of chow mein noodles! They are so yummy and I enjoy them in a lot of dishes. I love the big can of chow mein that you can buy, throw the cans together, heat through and eat. Super simple and delish served over chow mein noodles. This is a much healthier, homemade version of that! Just as wonderful and mouthwatering! :)

Brown hamburger and onions. Add remaining ingredients in a large casserole. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350. Stir every half hour while baking. Add more water if it seems too dry. Serve over chow mein noodles.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

This was by far the easiest dessert that I have ever put together! It was light to eat and delicious even though it was a "healthier" dessert! After the refrigerator brownie cake that we had the day before, I definitely needed something a little lighter!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

I love a quick and easy recipe on the weekend. The hubs is gone a lot during the week and when he comes out he is always looking forward to some home cooked meals that hit the spot. He was a big fan of this one - it might have something to do with the doritos on top! :)

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

I was looking for something a little simpler to go with the Lil Cheddar Meat Loaves that we had with supper during the moving party and this was definitely it. I love to try the big desserts, but sometimes you just have to go with a good old chocolate brownie - with a twist! :)

Mix brownie mixes according to directions. Add egg. Bake in 9x13 inch greased and floured cake pan. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 container whipped topping. Put this mix on top of the cooled brownies. Blend puddings and milk together and put on top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with another layer of whipped topping. Put chocolate shavings or chocolate syrup on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Since I was laid up with a bum knee after having knee surgery, I wasn't able to help with all the moving that my family was doing back in September. So, I helped the best way that I know how... I kept them all fed! After a long day of moving, everyone came over to my house for supper and these little meat loaves were a huge hit! I tripled the recipe and it fed the whole family, even when they came back for seconds and even thirds! (Mine were slightly larger then 12 mini loaves from each pound, so I did get less loaves per pound.)

In a bowl, beat egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion and salt. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 12 mini loaves and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over loaves. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink on the inside.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

These looked a little scary coming out of the pan, but boy oh boy, did they taste fabulous! My family chowed them down and kept asking for more!! Serving size was 3 a piece and the hubs went on the safe side and only gave the kids 1 or 2... They didn't last long before they were begging for 1 or 2 more! It was definitely a hit at my house. This is also an easy meal to double up on and freeze the second pan. I mean, while you are at it, you might as well make one for later! :)

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

I wasn't a huge fan of this pasta dish, so normally I wouldn't be posting about it. The hubs though - LOVED this dish and kept talking about how much he liked it. So, I obviously had to post it for his sake! :) It was easy to throw together, so that was a definite plus!

Cook tortellini according to package directions. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook and stir sausage over medium high heat 4-5 minutes or until browned. Add tomatoes and spinach; cook and stir until spinach wilts. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Drain tortellini; add to sausage mixture. Toss to combine.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

As you know I am a big fan of quick and easy meals. We are on the run a lot of the time and I like to be able to feed the kids quick and get out the door. This incorporates my love of quickness and our families love of shrimp! Love it!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Sometimes I'm not too sure about the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, they have a bit of a too smoky taste for me, but I thought that I would give them another go in this recipe. The orange juice and maple syrup definitely helped to cut the too smoky taste and they were fabulous! Easy to put together and the kids love anything that has a "dipping" sauce to it!

Mix the first five ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside 1/3 cup for serving. Grill pork chops, covered, over medium heat or broil 4" from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160, basting frequently with orange mixture. Serve with reserved sauce.

Connor's Cooking

Hi and welcome to my blog! My name is Raina and I love cooking and baking for friends and especially my family. Sometimes it's a hit and sometimes it's a miss, but being in the kitchen is one of my favorite ways to spend my time... I hope you enjoy the recipes that I share as much as I have!